On 2009-09-29 13:47 +0100 (Tue), Iain Barnett wrote:
So, if I was trying to come up with a solution to a problem that possibly has multiple solutions, like building an engine for a car, I would do better if I hadn't seen a (well crafted) working engine by someone else than if I had?
Yes, because the work you'd done thinking about it would give you a better understanding of the problem, even if the answer you'd come up with was completely wrong. That said, learning from the good example afterwards is without question extremely valuable.
If effort is there, then give me the example any time, because insight will be quicker.
Actually, I find that for many problems there is no quick insight. The
true understanding of the problem comes with struggling with it, rather
than mastering it.
cjs
--
Curt Sampson